Fires Of Destiny
by Jav-chan
Summary: The Pheonix. A bird born of the flames that bring about its death. It is the soceress's symbol. Her kingdom was thrown into civil war, and was sent to Earth for her own safety. Now her fiance wants her back, but the question is does she?
1. Prologue

Fires Of Destiny

Prologue

Fire.

When she dreamed she dreamt of fire.

It always burned terribly hot; scorching her skin, burning everything she held dear with it's smoldering heat. The smoke choked her, causing her breath to come out in short gasps. Gasping for clean air that never came. All around was death. The body of loved ones; those she knew – and others she didn't – lay scattered around her. The stench of death was like a plague, and she wanted to throw up, but she never could.

She wanted to run away, but no matter how far she ran death and the flames always surrounded her.

There was no escape. The flames followed her through the hills, the plains, and the ocean. (As to how the flames followed her into the ocean was beyond her.)

Then the voices started.

There is no escape.

You belong with us.

Come back.

Mahoutsukai-sama!

The androgynous voices seemed to ride on the smoke, the dark tendrils smothering, swirling against her skin. Something about the smoke made her blood freeze. All feeling left her body, and the voices seemed to invade her very pores.

Then, like a pair of strong, comforting arms, a strong voice invaded these whispers, wrapping its essence around her protectively. It warded off the strange whispers and fire and left her in a golden glow of security.

Kagome.

This voice drew forth an image of silver hair and eyes of molten amber. It made her feel warm all over and she would reach out for it. To embrace it.

Everything faded away, the pain, the suffering, as she held onto this image and the golden glow would surround her.

Then she would wake up.

A/N: I know. I know. I still haven't updated DGL. Gomen. I'm going to finish it soon. I promise! I'm just really swamped with school work right now. BTW – here's a lil translation.

mahoutsukai – soceress

-sama – prefix added to names or titles to show respect or to someone of high standing (english equivalent to Lord or Lady, can be used to King and Queen)


	2. Strange Happenings

Fires Of Destiny

Chapter One: Strange Happenings

Kagome Higurashi banged her head repeatedly against the surface of her desk; her cheeks flushed a faint pink. It was still early morning, and hardly anyone was there. She was alone in the small classroom, with only a vase of pitiful flowers to keep her company.

She had that dream again.

The dream of fire and…..Inuyasha. She didn't understand why it constantly followed her whenever she slept. It was a recent thing. The dreams had only started about two weeks ago.

It was around the same time that her grandfather had passed away.

The raven-haired girl was sad enough to lose the one person in her family that she could talk to. Fushi Higurashi had been the only one that truly understood her. Her strange abilities didn't bother him, or at least they hadn't.

Now he was gone.

Kagome had allowed herself to fall into a depression, and the dreams only made things worse. On the nights when exhaustion overcame her fear of the dreams, and she fell asleep, she would wake up only a few hours later completely drenched in sweat. For the first week after his death she went through the motions of going to school and doing homework. She never ate with her family, but that was nothing unusual and they never questioned it. It was only when she stopped eating at school and passing out during classes that people started to become concerned.

It had been annoying, at first, when her best friend Sango had noticed. Sango had lost her father and brother in a fire, and knew the pain of losing a loved one, but Kagome had refused to let her console her. It was only when she blacked out in the middle of gym, during a basketball game, that Kagome had been forced to deal with her pain.

Surprisingly, it hadn't been Sango who had brought up the situation to her family, and insisted that she start seeing a therapist. It was so damn annoying. Out of all the people, Inuyasha had to be the one to see her family. Kagome had been surprised when she heard about it. After all, she couldn't stand Inuyasha, and the feeling was mutual. It had all started in kindergarten involving a spell, some beads, and the word osuwari…..

Well, that was all ancient history now, and besides…..in a way (although she would never admit it) Kagome was a little grateful for his intervention. It was nice to have someone who would listen to her. Granted, the therapist was being paid to do so, but it helped. Sure, Sango was always there to listen, but something inside her told Kagome that her best friend would not understand.

Besides she felt silly enough with what she talked to the therapist about. It made her sound almost crazy, or like a writer with too much time on their hands…. It was funny how her grandfather had never made her feel like that.

Well, at least she knew what the topic of conversation was going to be for this week's session.

"Why the hell am I dreaming about him?" She muttered angrily, still banging her head against her desk, despite the dull ache that was starting to form.

"Dream about who, Ka-go-me?" The familiar masculine voice caused her skin to suddenly darken to the color of the crimson tie of her school uniform.

She froze in the middle of her head banging, her raven hair spilling out over the cheep wood, hoping it would hide her face. _Shit, shit, shit!_

"Dreaming about Houjo again?" The taunting voice suddenly pitched higher, in an obvious attempt of imitation. "Go out with you Houjo-kun? Why I'd love to! You want me to what?"

"Shut up, Inuyasha." She growled, her embarrassment at being caught and the lingering effects of the dream rapidly putting her in a foul disposition. She raised her head slightly off the desk and focused a cobalt eye through the strands of hair to glare at the arrogant young man standing in the doorway.

Inuyasha Kibashi folded his arms in – what the whole school recognized as – his trademark pose and continued to imitate her.

"Houjo-kun, not there! Oh, you villain, you!"

If Inuyasha had been able to see the rage that was burning in the schoolgirl's eyes he might have guessed what was coming, and known that not even the school's restriction would have kept him safe from her wrath.

"Oh, Houjo-kun!"

Kagome's thin patience finally snapped when the imitation took on a breathy tone.

"Inuyasha!"

The dark-haired boy paused to look closely at her, noticing for the first time the anger that caused her form to shake. He tensed, but quickly reassured himself that she wouldn't dare. After all, the school had restrictions on this, and would she really dare to do such a thing to Fuwashi High's biggest stud? Even as these thoughts went through Inuyasha's head, a small part of him cursed himself for his stupidity and braced for the impact.

"OSUWARI!"

"Higurashi-san, how many times must you be reminded that you are forbidden from using that word in this school?" The balding school counselor was glaring at the young junior. Kagome ignored him, however, choosing instead to stare at the set of swinging pendulum balls on his desk as she played with the fraying edge of a pleat on the green skirt of her uniform. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Mentally she cursed Inuyasha for being an arrogant ass, while trying to resist the urge to roll her eyes. She hated the way the counselors treated her. It was how almost everyone seemed to treat her. It had only been that one time in kindergarten, but ever since then the only people who acted normal around her were Sango and Miroku. Inuyasha didn't count. He didn't act normal (or even look it, for that matter) to begin with.

Every since that little spell (which she hadn't even been aware of casting it at the time) every member of her family had treated as something foreign. Her grandfather had been the only one to treat her normal, but she never had never really noticed it until her brother Souta had blatantly pointed out that she was a 'freak' when she was in fourth grade.

The counselor cleared his throat suddenly, drawing Kagome out of her depressing thoughts. She narrowed her eyes at him, and the counselor seemed to fidget under her glare.

That was one thing that she could take comfort in, at least. With her 'freakish' reputation, counselors – like the type that was currently mopping his baldhead with a dirty handkerchief – never knew how to act around her. If anything they were scared around her. Gods, it was fun to mess around with them. Kagome took a small breath, and cleared her throat.

"Fine." She said coolly, schooling her face into a stoic expression. "If I promise that I'll be good can I get back to class? I have a test in Japanese lit."

Kagome didn't even wait for the counselor to stutter out his consent. Grabbing her satchel, she stalked out of the office, not bothering to bow or say goodbye.

He could feel their eyes on the back of his neck, and it was getting annoying! So far he had only managed to scribble out his name while others where furiously working on their essays. The rhythmic scratching of pens was starting to get on his nerves. Inuyasha stared down at the blank piece of paper until the blue lines blurred. He blinked rapidly and shook his head, trying to clear his vision. A quick glance at the teacher and her sharp glare forced his attention back on his essay.

Again, his vision blurred, and again he shook his head. The teacher, after blowing a few stray wisps of graying hair out of her eyes, stared pointedly at the clock on the left wall. He glanced up at, and just stared for a few minutes as faded the red of the second hand ticked away. The teacher cleared her throat, and Inuyasha once again tried to force his concentration on the essay.

Damn it! Would they stop staring at him?!

Why the hell did those two have to act like this every time? Every time Kagome got sent to see the counselor's for uttering 'osuwari' they would give him one of their looks. It didn't matter if it was his fault or not. Somehow, those glares made him feel lower then dirt.

A low growl crawled against his throat, and Inuyasha didn't think he could stand it any longer. Completely forgetting that he was in the middle of an exam, the dark-haired junior stood up very fast in his chair. It fell backwards against Miroku's desk, and Inuyasha smirked at the startled expression on the boy's face. His eyes darted over to Sango, expecting her to be staring at him in surprise, but she was hunched over her desk, writing furiously. The teacher was the only one who reacted just as he predicted.

"Kibashi-kun!" Her shrill voice hurt his ears, and her face looked absolutely livid. She sputtered for a few moments, trying to form words. When she failed to do so she jabbed her finger angrily at the door, only then did she seem to find her voice. "Hall! Now!"

They both watched her through the water mirror as she trudged through the hall, shoulders slightly slumped.

"So are you sure it is her?" One of them asked, staring at the girl's figure, crimson eyes searching for something not there. "I can't sense its powers coming from her."

The other snorted.

"You honestly expected to be able to sense it through the mirror? After all, this is the sorceress. Her powers are beyond us. Especially in that world. Are you really her assistor, Naraku?"

Naraku choose not the respond to the question. He hadn't honestly expected a simpleton like the prince to understand the complexity of the water spell. "Don't expect to understand everything about spells, Kouga. Even she couldn't understand this one."

The movement was quick, and nearly startled him. A clawed hand was wrapped around his throat, nearly crushing his windpipes. Eyes, a chilly blue in color, glared at him hotly.

"You are to call me Prince."

Naraku merely returned the glare with a cold look to let the prince know that he wasn't impressed. He shifted his eyes to the left slightly, to glance down at the water mirror. Annoyance that Kouga had dared to raise a hand against him quickly deepened when he saw a faint reflection of their surroundings on the water's surface.

"Again, you demonstrate how little you know about spells, _Prince_." His voice was the only thing that conveyed his irritation. He spat out the last word as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "Due to your lack of restraint I was not able to maintain the spell."

A look of confusion crossed the other man's face. He turned his attention back to the water. A sheepish expression crossed his face when he saw that the image was gone. Not saying a word he quickly released Naraku, muttering a small apology.

"How long will it take you to bring it back up?" The prince asked after a moment of silence.

"I won't."

"What?! Why not?"

"I am not going to waste any more energy just so you can look at her. We know where she is. On the next full moon we can fetch her."

"So tomorrow night then?" A look of excited apprehension crossed Kouga's face.

"Well that is the next full moon."

The prince looked satisfied with that answer, and got up as if to leave. He paused for a moment.

"Naraku?"

"Yes?"

"Don't ever insult her like that again. After all, if it wasn't for you we wouldn't need to go through with this."

"What I did, I did for the sorceress's own safety." Naraku answered stiffly. "The masses would have slaughtered her if I hadn't sent her away." There was a pause. "You would do well to remember that."

When Kagome saw Inuyasha standing outside the classroom, holding a bucket full of water, she couldn't help but smile. It was almost comic how it worked. It happened every time. She would be forced to listen to counselors drone on and on about the school restriction, and when she headed back to class Inuyasha was always standing outside the classroom with a bucket, usually cursing. It was one of the positive things in her life, and she owed it all to Miroku.

Although she and Sango were best friends, Miroku had been her first friend. She was also the only girl in the whole school who probably hadn't been groped by the infamous pervert. She had met Miroku around the same time she had met Inuyasha and Sango – in kindergarten – but after the initial meeting he was the only one she played with at recess.

At least, until she hit puberty.

The time when she was re-introduced to Sango was around the time Sango and Miroku had started going out. For a while there had been some rumors, that Kagome was weaseling her way into the relationship, but – once again – Miroku had quickly laid that rumor to rest. (Much to the relief of a certain sophomore called Houjo.) He was always the first to jump to her defense. He was like the loving sibling she always wanted, but never had.

Kagome allowed a slight grin to grace her lips.

"Don't you have class, Inu-kun?"

"Don't call me Inu-kun," he all but growled. He couldn't stand it when people called him that! His mother was the only who ever got away with it, but….that was different. She knew what he was! If anyone else ever found out….it would be Osaka all over again.

A soft giggle brought Inuyasha from his thoughts, and his amber eyes narrowed in a glare. Kagome now stood across from him, her satchel in one hand as she used the other to cover her smile. He stared at her for a second, wondering why she didn't do that more often. She looked cute when she smiled. It irritated him to see her depressed. Unfortunately, ever since her grandfather passed away it was the only emotion she seemed able to convey. It was one of the reasons why he had all but threatened her family to make Kagome start seeing a therapist. (Not that he would ever admit that to anyone. Especially to himself.)

"Did the exam already start?" Her voice was slightly muffled by her hand.

Inuyasha merely grumbled in response, trying very hard not to stare at her. She was starting to look better over the past week, but Kagome was still too thin_. At least I can't see her ribcage anymore._ Somehow that thought didn't make him feel much better. Neither did the realization that he **might** be attracted to her. It was annoying to say the least. Every night before going to bed he would try to convince himself that it was only because he could relate to her problem. Kagome Higurashi was NOT attractive.

Why was that thought sounding less convincing with each night that passed?

"So..." Kagome removed her hand from her mouth and fiddled with the crystal sakura pendant that hung around her neck. Her smile saddened slightly when her thoughts turned to her grandfather, but quickly turned mischievous when she looked Inuyasha in the eye. "I guess it was Miroku again?"

Again, a growl was her only response.

"Well, you deserved it." She shook her head suddenly as if to shake of a sudden spell of dizziness, completely missing the glare that was sent her way. Kagome furrowed her brows suddenly and set her bag down to rub at her temples. What was this strange feeling? Why did it suddenly feel unbearable hot? _No_, the thought was filled with a sudden bout of terror when an image of fire, ashes, and (strangely enough) her grandfather flashed through her mind. _No, I dream about this enough at night! NO!_

Meanwhile, right across from her Inuyasha was in a similar situation (although he wasn't so much scared as he was confused) He shook his head, trying to clear his head of the sudden fuzzy feeling. For some strange reason he kept seeing fire, but he smelled no smoke. He shifted the pail to one hand, and rubbed at his eyes with the other. The fire faded, but the odd sensation, one that he could not quite place, lingered.

"Fire. It all started…."

He glanced over up at Kagome, glad that the odd feeling had finally faded at the sound of her voice, but his golden eyes went wide with surprise when he saw the state she was in.

"Fire….why are they screaming? Why does it hurt?" Her entire body was trembling, and her blue-gray eyes were brimming with tears. They darted around wildly, as if she didn't recognize where she was, fear shimmering from deep within their depths. Her arms were shaking more violently, almost as if she was having a partial seizure, and she reached up and clawed at her hair. She pulled at the dark locks desperately, in an attempt to get control over the shaking, and Inuyasha was afraid that she might pull her hair out.

"Help." Her voice sounded so small and alone. "Someone…help me."

"Kagome," He reached out one hand toward her, hesitantly, unsure of what to do.

At the sound of his voice her eyes locked onto his form, and she went silent. Inuyasha watched her warily before taking a step forward, opening his mouth to ask what was wrong. The movement startled the schoolgirl, and she backed up, back pressed against the wall, before letting loose a shrill and horrifying scream.

Inuyasha clamped his hands over his ears, dropping the pail for the first time. The metal container fell to the ground with a clatter, water sloshing over the shoes of the two, the din hardly heard over the ear-splitting screech.

There was a sound of the teacher and several students rushing over to the door and starting to slide it open. He felt the vibrations more then he heard the sounds. Then suddenly, as if someone had thrown them into a soundproof room, the screaming stopped. Kagome was breathing hard by now, the shaking and trembling more violent then before. She looked at Inuyasha, desperation screaming in her eyes until, without warning, they rolled unto the back of her head. The trembling suddenly stopped and her hands released her hair and fell to her sides limply. Classroom doors were just starting to be pulled open as she crumpled to the floor.

Inuyasha was hardly aware of himself shouting her name as he jolted forward; barely managing to catch her in his arms before her head hit the tiled floor.

A/N: I'm sorry that I haven't updated DGL yet. It will be up soon. Anywho, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Unfortunatly I'm only working on this story when I hit the writer's block. Gomen ne! I'm going to have so much fun with this one!


	3. Crossing Over

Fires of Destiny

Chapter 2: Crossing Over

After Kagome had been taken to the nurse's office, Inuyasha had done his best to make himself scarce. By the time the commotion that had been a direct result of Kagome's collapse had been taken care of, the school bell had shrilly announced that it was time for everyone to go home. Inuyasha hadn't even stayed to hear the literature teacher to announce that anyone who didn't finish the exam would be allowed to stay after or be graded on what they had completed. Inuyasha's thoughts had been somewhere along the lines _'screw this' _and he had bolted. Miroku and Sango would most likely stay to finish their exams, and then try to track him down before he left school grounds.

Now, however, Inuyasha realized just how stupid it was to try and outsmart to be people who were the most protective over the quiet teenager. Somehow, miraculously, Sango had figured out just exactly what he was up to, and gotten to the school gates before he could.

"Damn bitch."

"Shut up." Sango snapped from her place atop of him. She was currently sitting in a lone school chair—two 50 pound weights on either side of her hips—which she had managed to get Inuyasha pinned under.

The moment he had seen her stern profile, the moment her eyes had pinned him down, the dark-haired boy had attempted to vault himself over the school walls. A solid hit from Sango's book laden school bag had put a quick stop to that. He had rolled a couple of times before coming to a halt. He had picked up the determined steps of Sango as she strolled towards him in an almost lazy approach. The look on her face had clearly told him that she wasn't letting him go without a fight. His response had been to slide into a fighting crouch, dreading the outcome of the battle. He was good when it came to thugs, but the other junior was an accomplished martial artist. She knew several different forms, and that was just the beginning of her battle training experience.

Her father was a world class fighter, and fought in every under-world fighting event imaginable. The ones, according to Sango, that he took the most pleasure in were ones that required the fighters to be masters of the ancient fighting arts in able to leave the arena in one piece. Sango's mother had never given birth to any other children after the death of Sango's little brother Kohaku, she had somehow become barren, and so her husband had taken it upon himself to make Sango into a fighter that could best any male.

He had succeeded too. Sango didn't participate in as many under-world fights as her father did, but when she did she always managed to come out on top. She was the reason why their school had held first place in fighting matches for the last three years. She was every anti-feminist's worst nightmare.

At that moment she also happened to be his.

It had taken her mere moments to subdue him. It had happened so fast that he wasn't even sure as to _how _it happened. All he could clearly remember were solid flashes of pain that knocked him off his feet, and the next thing he knew was that he was pinned underneath a chair. He had tried to lift it up, but Sango had thought ahead and had added one hundred extra pounds to the chair making it impossible for him to escape with the restriction that dangled from his neck.

"Damn it, Sango! How long are we going to stay like this!"

"As long as it takes." Was her terse reply. "At least until Miroku finishes his exam."

"What about yours?"

"I already finished it."

Inuyasha swore vividly. He needed to get away. If not just to tend to the physical bruises, then maybe to his bruised ego. Damn bitch!

"Ah, Sango, thank you for waiting, and…oh, look! Why Inuyasha-kun I didn't realize you'd be here too!"

It took a lot of self-restraint for Inuyasha to stop himself from attempted to try and escape so that he could rip Miroku's head off and never have to hear that all too cheerful voice again.

"Damn you, Miroku! Get this bitch to let me out!"

"That was quick." Sango spoke loudly, her voice drowning out Inuyasha's right around the word "damn"."

"I just needed to finish up my essay. So shall we?"

"Yes," Sango grinned. "Lets."

* * *

"NARAKU!"

The sorcerer did his best to fight back a sigh as the thundering voice grew closer. The damn Prince was so annoying. Always expecting him to waste his energy just for a chance to see the Sorceress. This is why he hated royals. They were so arrogant, so self-serving. The Sorceress was the only royal that he could actually stand, and even she had her moments. It was one of the reasons why had made sure to stick in a family where her life would most likely be hell. Humility would be good for her. Taking a deep breath, Naraku let his stoic mask slide into place when the Prince stepped into his laboratory.

"Yes, my Prince?"

Kouga face was pale as he thrust the crystal orb into the sorcerer's pale face. The crystal was supposed to contain the Sorceress' Keepsake, but when she had been forced to flee she had taken that with her. Inside the orb the golden setting for the Keepsake was now a shimmering translucent.

Naraku didn't know what it was, but there was something about this Prince that made him want to scream, rant, and cause all sorts of destruction.

"Calm down, my lord. It is nothing to worry about." Naraku coolly assured the doubtful Kouga. "This glowing is actually a good thing. It means the Sorceress is getting back her memories."

Kouga still looked doubtful.

"My lord," Naraku was doing his best to refrain from rubbing his head in exasperation, "this glowing means that it will be much easier to retrieve your fiancé then we originally thought."

The doubtful expression had yet to leave Kouga's face. "Won't that trouble her?" He finally said after a few moments of contemplation.

"I seriously doubt it. In the world that we placed her in, her memories can only be retrieved if she is unconscious."

"Oh…you said that this would make it easier to retrieve her. Does that mean we can go get her now?"

The hopefulness in the Prince's voice made Naraku want to bang his head against the worktable. Why was it that Kouga could get this type of reaction out of him? It was taking a lot of self-control to keep the mask in place and the irritation out of his voice.

"Prince, I am still unfinished with some of the preparations, and even if I was it would be life threatening to the Sorceress life to attempt it at a time when the Bridge is at its weakest. Please be patient."

Kouga looked crestfallen, it was so pathetic. This was the youkai that would marry the most strong-willed Sorceress that their world had seen in a long time? It made Naraku want to cringe. Slowly, but surely, the Prince turned around, his mottled tail drooping. The sorcerer returned his attention back to the potions, powders, and spell scrolls that littered his worktable. He hadn't lied to the Prince. He still had a lot of work to do before to prepare for the spell tomorrow night.

* * *

"So you didn't do anything…"

Seriously, it hurt how much his childhood friends trusted him.

"No," Inuyasha growled in response, _again_, "I didn't do anything. She just…"

"Just what?" The hardness in Sango's voice as her face loomed closer to his made him gulp loudly. Damn it, why was this bitch so intimidating?

He was still in the same prone position he had been in since Miroku appeared, the only difference was that Miroku was sitting on the chair while Sango grilled him for information to find what had exactly happened. He had no problem with telling them what happened. After all, this was one time that the blame could not be put on him. If only they let him come out from under the god damn chair…slow realization dawned on Inuyasha and he smirked. Sango frowned, not liking his expression one bit.

"What?"

The grin on his face was almost scary. "I'll promise to tell you if you let me out from under this chair." The sing-song tone of his voice sounded very _wrong_ coming from a person like Inuyasha.

The request was met with silence. Sango's expression was a cross between thoughtful and just…well…evil. Miroku had one of insecurity. He was the first to speak.

"I don't know…how do we know you won't try to bolt or—"

"Let him." Sango had an evil smirk of her own when she spoke. "I'll subdue him if he tries to escape."

Inuyasha had to try very hard to suppress the shiver. He grunted when Miroku stepped on his posterior as he got off of the chair. The irate junior's curses fell on deaf ears as his friend tried to lift one of the 50 pound weights off of the chair, but stepped back and left it to Sango after three futile attempts. Inuyasha flung the chair off of him the moment the weights were off.

"Talk."

Annoyed golden eyes fell on Sango's stern form, but Inuyasha remained silent. He made quite a show of rubbing his sore muscles and groaned heavily. It was the cracking of Sango's knuckles that finally convinced him to sober up and talk.

"I—I don't know exactly what caused her to pass out." The thoughtfulness in his voice and the tinge of worry startled his classmates but they remained silent. "I felt something…I don't know what. There was a very strange scent in the air; it was almost like smoke. Kagome—she—went very pale…then she started talking about fires…she was scared."

Miroku raised an eyebrow when Inuyasha's fist clenched suddenly, as if in anger.

"Something frightened her. _Something_ is scaring her."

Sango suddenly hid her face behind her hands, and Miroku had to bite his lip to keep from smiling. It was so cute, almost like something from a shoujo manga. Inuyasha was worried about the girl who could very easily make his life a living hell.

"That's all that happened?" It was extremely difficult for Sango to keep the mirth from her voice.

"Yea." Inuyasha scowled, wondering what the hell everyone thought was so funny.

* * *

Kagome flushed the toilet, trying not to look at the vomit as it swirled down the porcelain bowl, lest her stomach heaved again. She took a huge gulp of the cup of the water that sat by the sink. Her face twisted as the liquid forced the bitter taste of the chunks that she had been unable to spit out back down her throat. Sighing wearily, she headed out of the bathroom that seperated her bedroom from the guest room, and collapsed onto her bed. She nuzzled it, tears leaking from under closed lids. The silk comforter felt so good against her heated skin…

After her collapse yesterday her family had ignored the nurse's suggestion that they take Kagome to see a doctor. It didn't surprise her. After all, they hardly ever took any interest in her. They would probably keep her upstairs with nothing to eat but rice and pickled veggies that they would slide under the door if they thought they could get away with it.

Kagome didn't understand why they hated her so—especially her mother. What type of woman could hate her own flesh and blood?

It made her feel worthless, like she didn't deserve to live, and she probably would have killed herself a long time ago if it hadn't been for Miroku, Sango, and (as much as she hated to admit it) Inuyasha. Even though Inuyasha was arrogant, rude, and brash he still made her feel human. His actions towards her weren't cruel like her parents' were.

Still there were some advantages to being treated as if you didn't exist…

If her family didn't hold such contempt for her, she wouldn't have been able to skip school today…

Ever since yesterday's incident the dreams of the fire and death had been getting worse. She had hardly gotten any sleep last night. Every time her conscious drifted off she was bombarded with the horrible dreams. The only difference was there was no Inuyasha to protect her from the cruel and desperate whispers. There was no one to protect her from the death and the fire, and they were getting worse. The death was becoming so clearer now. She could see the roasting corpses, the intense heat blistering some skin and turning others to liquid. Every time she managed to escape from her sleep Kagome had an overwhelming urge to throw up and her skin felt unbearably hot. She should get up and do something, anything, to keep her mind awake, but throwing up left her so weak, and she was so tired…

* * *

"How does this work?"

Naraku smirked slightly at the worry that tinged the Prince's voice. They were in front of a mirror that shimmered with a myriad of colors. A golden frame supported it which now trembled and grew translucent under the weight of the spell. "Worried, my Prince?"

Kouga didn't answer; his brow furrowed as if some important thought weighed heavily on his mind. "She's sick…or something. I can feel it. She's in pain. Why is she in pain?"

The sorcerer dismissed these worries with a wave of his hand. "It's only natural. The ways of the gods and the influence of youkai have long since disappeared from that world. Pure youkai are extinct, as are hanyous. The Sorceress' keepsake can sense the preparation spells. It is merely preparing her body to enter our world. Now ideally I would have set the spell up a week before the full moon, but some of the ingredients are rather hard to come by. Therefore, the changes will affect her health more. Do not fear," He held up a hand to stop the Prince from interrupting, "she will be well enough to travel. She will simply be weak for a few days, at least until her memories fully return. Now go, my Prince, it is time to fetch your bride."

"Mate." Kouga absently corrected before passing through the shimmering mirror.

* * *

_"Mahoutsukai-sama!" _

_So hot. It was so hot. _

_"Help us, please!" _

_Kagome looked on in horror as all around her as people—her people—screamed. So many corpses surrounded her; the scent of death was nearly overwhelming. Fire devoured the skin of it's victims as they crawled towards her. She tried to back away, but her back hit hard stone._

_They surrounded her, crawling on their hands and knee, screaming as their skin melted and blistered. _

_There was no where to run. She couldn't escape. _

_Slowly the bodies collapsed, one by one, never to move again, until only one remained. She didn't understand how this one body was still making its way toward her. Half of his face blistered horribly, the other half had melted off to reveal smooth bone. The corpse—it had to be, it couldn't be alive, could it?—finally managed to stager to its feet._

_Kagome screamed, tears running down her face, as he stumbled towards her. She looked around wildly, cobalt eyes searching for someone. Where was he? Where was the protector with raven hair and golden eyes? Why wasn't he here to save her? The pain that laced through and the crushing grip tore her away from her search. A skeletal hand gripped her wrist, scouring it. All skin and blood was gone now, and it was a skeleton that clung to her now._

_She tried to runaway, to escape the bone-crushing grip, the flames that seared her skin._

_No escape._

_Her skin turned to liquid, just like it had with the bodies that trapped her._

_No escape._

* * *

Inuyasha glared at the wooden blanks of the porch of the main shrine that the Higurashi family used as their home. He really hated her family. Ok, maybe her little brother wasn't so bad—the hero worship thing was a little annoying—but the rest of the Higurashis should have been wiped off of the face of the earth for all of the concern they had regarding Kagome. Of course, his resentment might have had something to do with the fact that he could relate far too well.

He knew a bit what it was like to wonder why a family couldn't love their own flesh and blood. Inuyasha and his mother had been the ban of her family's existence. Still even their resentment couldn't be as bad as the cold indifference of the Higurashis. Besides he had only had to endure the loneliness that followed his mother's death for a few weeks before his father had come and taken him to live in the Kibashi household. The Kibashis were very well off, and his father was the CEO of Kiba-Electro. The company, in addition to providing Japan with most of its electricity, had started an international chain of computer stores. The family had more then enough money to support Kibashi's five children—in addition to some adopted triplets—in cushy apartments in a very posh part of Tokyo. They all had their own place—Inuyasha included—under the condition that they would meet for a total of five hours a week for "family time." Despite feeling a bit out of place in the family, Inuyasha generally enjoyed spending time with his younger siblings. (Sesshoumaru—the eldest—was the only real pain, and he was currently island-hopping with his new wife.)

_This is for Kagome_. He reminded himself as the door slid open in response to Sango's tentative knock.

"Inu-nii-chan!"

The decibel level of the fifth grader never ceased to amaze Inuyasha.

"Hey brat." He flashed Souta a dry smile, relieved that it was the one family member that he could actually stand.

"Souta, who is it!" A voice called from inside the shrine, probably from the kitchen area.

"Nee-chan's friends!" At least the runt acknowledged that he and Kagome where related.

"What? You know Kikyo went to Cancun with her friends for spring break."

"Not, Kikyou's! Kagome's!" Even Inuyasha couldn't help but smile at the irritation in the boy's voice.

"Let them in." Souta didn't seem the least bit disturbed at the annoyance in his mother's voice when he stepped by to let Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku step into the shrine house. Golden eyes narrowed into slits as neutral masks slid over Sango and Miroku's incensed expressions. Inuyasha wasn't even going to pretend toleration of Mrs. Higurashi.

"Kibashi-kun." Her voice was laced with venom, "how nice of you to visit again."

Miroku's eyebrows went up a bit, but he didn't comment. Inuyasha didn't even bother to dignify the woman with a response. His narrowed eyes darted around trying to find something, anything, to concentrate on. It was almost cruel, the way there were no pictures of Kagome.

"Higurashi-san, is Kagome in?"

The older woman turned irritated eyes to Sango. Like Inuyasha, the woman didn't bother to verbally respond to Sango's question; she only raised her hand in the general direction of the stairs. Sango smiled a thin thanks, and was about to ask Souta if he could tell Kagome that they were there when a fearful shriek sliced through the air.

"_NOOOO_!"

It almost comical—like something from a romance manga—the amount of time it took Inuyasha to react to that scream. Sango and Miroku had barely had time to register the slight breeze he left before Inuyasha was already thundering up the wooden stairs.

* * *

"No, no, NO! Please, no! Stay away! NO!"

Inuyasha had followed the desperate screams to Kagome's room. He didn't know what exactly he expected to find when he arrived, after all an attacker was highly unlikely in a neighborhood such as this, but still…

The last thing he had expected to find was Kagome writhing on her bed, her limbs twisting wildly as she screamed in fear, her eyes tightly shut.

Inuyasha nearly sagged in relief, a bit unnerved by his own reaction to her scream. He pushed it aside however, and skirted the bed so that he could come up to her side.

"Kagome." He tried to go for soothing—soft—but it came out rougher then he intended. "Oi, Kagome." He sat on the side of the bed and gripped her shoulders, shaking them. "Oi, wake up. Kagome!"

She let loose a final scream before she finally managed to break free of whatever terror that had gripped her in her dreams. Her cobalt eyes were unfocused as they flew open. They trained on him for a mere second before she bolted upright and lunged at Inuyasha, latching both arms around his waist when she came in contact. Kagome's sobs were hard and heaving, and it was only a short time before Inuyasha started to feel their wetness penetrate a small portion of his shirt. For a moment, the young man was unsure on what to do, and then he felt her body start to tremble violently. It was like some sort of automatic, chemical reaction: before he could stop himself the young man was wrapping his arms around Kagome's slight frame, gently rubbing her back in what he hopped was a gesture of comfort.

"What was that about?"

"I hope Kagome-chan's okay."

"I don't believe I've ever seen him react like that."

Inuyasha froze at the slight thud of approaching footsteps and low voices. Kagome was still crying, clinging to him. _Oh, God no. Please dear God, no._

"Inuyasha, is Kagome-chan al—oh my."

"Inu, you dog, you. Ha! Get it?" A quick slap to the head was Sango's response to Miroku's very sad joke.

Inuyasha was frozen as was, surprisingly enough, Kagome. She had stopped crying and unwound her arms from around his waist, and sat back very slowly. Even with the very be comely blush that stained her cheeks Kagome looked rather pathetic with her red eyes and tear tracks that were starting to dry on her face.

Like Kagome, Inuyasha was also trying to back away from the uncomfortable situation. It didn't help that Miroku was grinning like a Cheshire cat and Sango was giving them a knowing smile. Inuyasha could feel his own face start to heat up. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, to explain himself when Kagome's face suddenly went very pale. Abruptly she rolled off the bed, and away from him, and bolted towards her bathroom.

A few seconds later the three could hear the sickening sounds of her throwing up what little was left of Kagome's stomach. The rest were dry heaves that elicited small whimpers of pain from the school girl.

* * *

It had taken plenty of coaxing, but Sango was finally able to convince Kagome to take a walk outside the shrine. After all, she didn't _look_ that sick and the thermometer clearly stated that she didn't have a temperature. Besides being in this house just made all of them uneasy. So Sango had ushered the boys outside while Kagome changed from the cotton pajamas that she had been wearing. Now they were all outside, Kagome dressed in a pair of light capris and a tank, despite the chilliness of the early spring weather. She had shrugged any concerns, and claimed that her skin just felt very hot. _That _had earned her a leery remark from Miroku, who was now sporting a rather large bump on the side of his head. Kagome had decided to give the group a short tour of the shrine and then they were going to head to the park for a nice walk, and maybe some dinner (the boys were treating).

"This," Kagome waved her hand wearily in the direction of a small shrine, "Is the Bone Eater's Well. Legend has it that it was used as a dumping spot for demon remains during the Sengoku Jidai. Jii-chan used to believe that it could also be used as a means to transport through time, and kept it sealed. He was always worried that demons would come through…" Her eyes dulled and her voice grew quiet—and for a moment the others felt very awkward—but she managed to force an overly bright smile on her face. "Of course, that's just one of his theories. It's just a legend. After all there has never been any evidence that demons ever existed!"

Sango pushed her ponytail back over her shoulder. She eyed Inuyasha carefully. Was it just her or did he seem very uncomfortable about something? She shook her head. What did he have to be uncomfortable about? He was probably just bored, Sango knew she was, and—she cast a quick glance at Miroku—it looked like the religion freak was as well. None of them said anything to try and divert Kagome from her task, however. Something was clearly bothering her, and it wasn't related to her grandfather's death. That much was clear by yesterday's weird fainting incident and the nightmares that, apparently, were a frequent happening. Giving them this tour was probably soothing for the girl's nerves.

"That's the Goshinboku. I know there is some weird legend with that tree, something about a miko and a hanyou, but I can't quite remember it."

Again, Inuyasha stiffened.

"There are the shrine steps. We can leave in a minute. I just want to show you guys one thing." She led them into the wooded area—a rare thing in Tokyo—down a twisted path, and into a small clearing. A piece of granite was erected beneath a gnarled sakura tree with something etched into the polished stone. Elaborate flowers surrounded the stone. "This," Kagome's voice caught, "is Jii-chan's grave. He used to take me here all the time while I was little. This was our secret place." A single tear made its way down a splotch cheek.

"Kagome-chan…"

"But he's gone now so…" She brushed away the tears, plastering another smile on her face, but this one didn't seem as forced. It almost seemed real. "I think I feel a little better now. Thanks, mina."

* * *

Dinner turned out to be a rather pleasant affair. Inuyasha had treated them to eat at a rather pricy restaurant that served a variety of foreign and native foods. Miroku had volunteered to help pay, but Inuyasha had not so politely declined preferring not to "ruin the damn meal to get out of paying". The had gotten okonomoyaki and sushi—with cream cheese and salmon, called the Philadelphia roll in the States—as an appetizer and for the main course they had each ordered something from a different nationality. Kagome had decided on a Spanish meal, Sango an Italian one, Miroku had ordered South African (something that he didn't finish and ended up sharing Sango's instead), and Inuyasha had chosen an American one. Kagome had been much happier during the whole meal, and it had put everyone in a generally pleasant mood—including Inuyasha. They went for a stroll in the park with full bellies and light moods. None of them was prepared for what was about to happen.

Somehow, they had doubled of into pairs: Miroku with Sango, Inuyasha with Kagome. They were traveling down an old hunting trail, the woods almost seeming to close in on them as the sun sank lower. Miroku and Sango had found something to talk about (namely what moves Sango had used to "subdue" Inuyasha), but Inuyasha and Kagome were stuck in an awkward, but not uncomfortable, silence.

Kagome was the first to feel it. It raised the fine hairs on the back of her neck. Everything felt hot again, and all of a sudden there was this horrible ache that tugged at her chest. The only warning that the others had was a brief sense unease that settled over the woods, and, in Inuyasha's case, the scent of an irritating stench.

Kagome came to a sudden halt and put a hand to her heart. Why did she want to cry so badly?

It happened so quickly that they all reacted by instinct alone.

A pair of arms clothed in black silk wrapped around Kagome's lithe figure. All she managed was an indignant shriek as finger grazed her breasts before those arms—those strong arms with clawed hands attached—dragged her back very roughly. Then the shriek turned into a cry for help.

"Hey, who—what—stop! Let me go! Inuyasha!" Why did she call out his name?

The raven-haired girl craned her head back to see that someone was pulling her back into a large rectangle of shimmering light. Her head and whipped back, and she saw her three friends giving chase. Then she was pulled through the light, her panic only starting to rise, and they jumped into it, not even giving it a second thought.

Then everything went black for Kagome Higurashi.

* * *

**Yes, Sango's going to be a major kickass. Just wait until the next chapter. Kouga, for the most part. will be pretty much the same as he is in the manga. It makes me wonder how the hell he could ever become a prince...**


	4. Feudal Scenary

Fires of Destiny

Chapter 3: Feudal Scenery

* * *

Kagome's mind was a blank. At some point during her capture her kidnapper had thrown her over his shoulder. She heard faint cries of anger, and for a brief moment she hoped that it wasn't Inuyasha and the others.

_They don't belong here._

The thought was so sudden and foreign that it startled her. First of all she didn't even kniw where _here _was. The forest that she was being carried through was strange to her. The vegatation was too green, too thick. (Not to mention the distant roar of the waterfall that they had just recently passed by would have been totally out of place at Tokyo Park.) The initial fear and stomach dropping sensation that had initially gripped her the moment she felt herself being grabbed had faded the moment they had crossed through the shimmering portal. The emotional wave swept over her again and tears started to form.

"Don't cry."

Kagome was surprised at the tender concern that laced her captor's voice.

"Why are you doing this? Where are you taking me?"

One of the man's hand squeezed her thigh in what was supposed to be a reassuring way. Kagome's face flushed and she shrieked. She could feel her captor grimace when she started pounding on his back. It gave her a small feeling of satisfaction.

"Let me go!"

"Not yet. We're almost there."

"I don't want to go there! I don't even know where _there_ is!"

"Yes you do. You've just forgotten it. You'll like it. It's were you belong."

* * *

Inuyasha had pulled ahead of the others the moment he had felt the changes take place. They would ask questions, questions that he wasn't quite ready to deal with. Kagome was close; he could smell it. When they got to her and beat the pulp of whoever it was that had taken her they would all have questions. He would answer their questions then.

He only hoped that they wouldn't desert him when they found out what he really was.

* * *

Naraku stepped into the Sorceress' chambers, the maids standing to the side as they nervously awaited his appraisal of their work. The sorcerer observed the recieving chamber with a critical eye.

"You are dismissed." He said after a moment. "You," He pointed at one of the younger maids, "tells the cooks to start sending dinner to the Main Hall. The Sorceress will be here shortly."

The maids bowed before leaving the chamber. Naraku crossed the room, and opened the glass doors that lead to an expansive balcony. Despite the humility that she undoubtdly learned from her family experience the Sorceress was still going to need several lessons in etiquet. It had been one of her weaker points as a human being, and the sorcerer sincerly doubted that living amoung peasants did anything to improve that.

Naraku rubbed at his tembles. It felt like a headache was coming on.

* * *

"Hey, bastard! Stop!"

Kouga scoffed at the crude shout that followed him. This one prusuer was steadily gaining, but there was no chance that he would catch up with them before they reached the castle.

The sooner they got there the better. He was hungry, and the stench of his pursuer was really starting to get on his nerves. It was a strange, confusing scent. It reeked dog and demon, and that just didn't make sense. For the short amount of time that he had been on Earth Kouga discovered that it was just as Naraku said: that world was completely void of any magical presence. So why did he suddenly feel a flash of youki coming from his pursuer?

The murmuring noises of village life reached the wolf youkai's sensitive hearing and he grinned. There were so many advantages to being a Prince. His status may not be as high as that of the woman that was flung over his shoulder, but it was high enough.

The forest started to thin out and he could make out the small wooden railing that circled the small village that bordered the Sorceress' Estate. Kouga vaulted over the railing, and jumped high into the air. The Sorceress let out a shriek and clung to his tunic. As the ground of the Town Square rushed up to meet them the Prince frowned. When had the Sorceress become like a jumpy cub?

The villagers stood frozen for a moment before dropping whatever it was that they were doing to prostrate themselves where they stood. It made Kouga uncomfortable , and even a little embaressed. He knew who it was they were prostrating before and the fact that she was protesting against his hold did little to elevate his favor amoung the people.

"Mahoutsukai-sama." It was only when the murmer rippled through the crows that the Sorceress froze in her resistant. Her body went frigid and Kouga was a little worried at the fear that entered her scent.

"You." Kouga pointed a clawed finger at an awkward-looking guard-- a direct result of trying to appear respectuful without laying down his spear. the guard jumped up when he noticed that Kouga's attention was on him.

"Y-yes, My Prince?"

"There are three humans chasing us. Gather a unit and dispose of them."

"No!"

Kouga cursed inwardly at the protest.

"I won't," the Sorceress resumed her struggle. "let you hurt my friends!"

The guard looked from Kouga to the woman thrown over his shoulder. A distasteful look seeped into his eyes.

"As Mahoutsukai-sama wishes. We will bring them to the Estate for you to deal with. Is that appropriate, Prince?"

"Fine." Ever since the Riot any respect Kouga had for the populance that surrounded the Estate had been lost. He tightened the grip he had around one of the Sorceress' thighs. He let his claws press against the matterial. She needed to understand that such a display could possible lead to another Riot. She knew something of it, that much he could already tell-- if the fear that filtered back into her scent was of any indication. "Send a messenger to the outlying villages. Let the world know that the Sorceress has returned."

The guard dipped his head in thin respect before backing away. Kouga headed down the path that lead to the large obsidian walls that protected the Estate.

* * *

"Hurry up, Miroku!"

A pained gasp was Sango's only response. Her feet pounded against the dirt and occasionally she leaped over some stray branches that jutted out onto the path. There it was again, those silver whisps...

Was it a ghost?

She could hear him, Inuyasha, up ahead. How he had managed to pull ahead of them so quickly she didn't know. She only hopped that whatever those silvers whisps belonged to hadn't caught up with him.

A ways behind her Miroku let out a gasp, clutching his side, and rubbing at the stitch that started to form there. He was absorbed in his own pain that he didn't even notice that Sango had stopped—never mind how tense her stance was—until he crashed into her. Sango jabbed her elbow into his stomache, sneding Miroku sprawling to the ground, clutching his middle as he gasped for breath.

"What the hell Sango!"

"Shut up!" The girl hissed back in response, flexing her fingers as if longing for a weapon. Then, without warning, she suddenly flung herself towards him, instinctively covering his body with her own as best she could. An arrow sunk itself into the tree she had been in front of only moments before.

"Why Sango," Miroku decided to ignore arrow, "if you wanted me so badly all you had to do was ask."

"Shut up Miroku!"

She pressed her cheek hard against his chest as arrows rained past them.

They had mixed feeling about the Sorceress' orders. No one was very happy with her presence. Her mother had been almost like a tyrant, and that had been the reason for the Riot. Each worried about how her governance might effect their current way of living. Almost no one wanted change. The ones who did had escaped to the mountains a long time ago.

After all how good of a leader could she be if she let the Prince carry her like that?

The guards and their families would welcome a naive ruler. It would make it easier for them to keep things the way they were. As things stood now they had their run of their land; the only property that was beyond their reach was the Sorceress' Estate.

The peasants feared many types of rulers. They feared a tyrant or someone that could be easily influenced by the decisions of others. The Prince made no effort to keep it hidden—his distaste for the people.

He blamed them for everything: the Riot, his seperation from his fiance, the death of his clan...

"There's one!" A lanky farmer pointed at a silver-haired figure clothed in black.

"This must be the last one." The head of the guard unit murmured. "You there," he made a general wave at the peasants. "You capture him. Rid him of any weapons so that we can imobilize him."

A few grumbled protests came from the villagers as they gathered their weapons of torches, sticks of wood with nails embedded in them, and pitchforks. With the power that the guards hold over the villages they really couldn't afford to protest. Shaky hands gripped crude weapons tightly and the humans rushed at the silver-haired figure. No one realized that no human could possibly have hair that color.

* * *

It vibrated through his blood as the small group of people - the clothing poor and their scent tainted with a revolting stench of decay born from the soul - rushed at him, sharp edges of crude farm tools raised. Dark memories resurfaced. The beaded necklace nestled underneath his shirt vibated with power as it tried to leash in the power that was seeping out of the very pores of his skin.

_"That sister of mine. Damn her, bringing that freak child here. Almost as bad as her freak husband."_

They were closer now. He could almost taste their sweat.

"_What are we going to do with this brat now that his mother's gone?"_

"_Can't we just get rid of him?"_

"_I would love to, but what of his father finds out? He's a very powerful person."_

"_Person? Don't you mean freak?"_

It almost seemed to be in slow motion, the way the closest farmer leaped at him, swinging a hoe.

_He could hear her protests, her yelling when the spell and the rosary that she had made him always wear to hide his silver hair and his odd ears failed. Somehow his mother had never been able to get the spell to disguise the color of his eyes. Her family had been suspicious of him the moment they meet him because of those eyes._

_Those damn eyes._

His mind was surpisingly calm as he easily sidestepped the hoe's blade and sunk into the ground. It was so easy. A look of distaste crossed his face when he notice the farmer struggle to remove the hoe from the ground.

Weakling.

His vision was washed in red. The peasant's pale skin was flushed in a crimson hue. The grass, the sky, the woods, the scents…everything seemed to be washed in the stark flood of blood. The claws that the rosary kept hidden lengthened. Inuyasha all but tore off his school jacket. It was too constricting.

He gloried in the spike of fear that rose from the human when those deadly claws came into view. The others formed a loose circle around him and his first victim. His blood pulsed with glee as his claws sliced deep through the human's chest, wrapping tightly around the beating heart.

* * *

The hair-raising sensations started the moment her captor brought her through the mansion doors. When Kagome caught sight of the vivd tapestries that adorned the—was that marble?—walls she was hard pressed to called it that, but the building wasn't large enough to be called a castle. Besides it didn't have the sprawling layouts of the ones in her Western Art History book.

The large hallway was vacant of life with the exception of a dark-haired figure that stood in front of an entrance that seemed to made of granite. It was entirely out of place when comapared to the rest of the hall. Her captor was steadily approaching with, much to her annoyance, Kagome still slung over his shoulder.

Why did he have to hold her like this, and why the hell was he still holding onto her thigh!

"Prince," The dark-haired figure was obviously a man by the deep, if somewhat cold, tone of his voice, "is it really necessary to hold her like that? I feel that it is much unwanted by the Sorceress."

Her limbs shook as a shiver raced through her body. Sorceress, Mahoutsukai-sama…these words echoed through her head, the strange sensations that the very building seemed to emit making them seem less foreign then they should have been. Everything here was strange and new, and yet at the same time they resounded with a sense of heart-aching familiarity.

"Oi, you ok?" Her captor, or 'Prince' as the other man called him, set her down on the floor an arm around her waist keeping her steady.

Instead of blushing at their proximity, Kagome found herself grateful for the strength in his grip. Her legs felt a little better then jelly. She didn't like the emotions that were swamping her. She felt on the verge of tears. She felt like laughing and crying, all at the same time.

_**This is the Sorceress? This snip of a girl?**_

The scorn that carried on that voice was enough to hold back the threat of tears just a little longer. Irritation and more than a little annoyance welled up deep from within. She sent the offender a chilling glaring.

"Snip of a girl?" The look of shock that registered on the long-haired man's face filled her with a small bit of satisfaction. "Who the hell do you think you are! Excuse me for being a little scared. I just got kidnapped! I have no damn clue where I am! What the hell do you expect?" Kagome studied his face for a moment before adding a bit of an after thought. "At least I'm not the crossdresser!"

The man, whom Kagome had now decidly dubbed the "Crossdresser", raised a hand up to the vivid streaks of color that outlined his eyes, his expression dumbstruck. The "Prince" had a remarkably proud and arrogant expression on his face, and could hardly stop the chuckle that followed.

* * *

**Seriously, can you call him anything else? Well, not a lot happened in this chapter. I originally planned for more, but 10 pg limit. This is a dark story (the best kind) but that won't start until later. Also, one reviewer commented on Kagome yelling for Inuyasha in her sleep last chapter. (Sorry, I can't remember who it was.) They commented on how unrealistic it seems. I agree. I put that in there because, considering the dream, she saw his presence as a pillar of comfort and support. It wasn't that she was instinctively crying out for him. She just needed something recognizable. Thank you for bringing it up…. (checks STATS) Shizuka Kaze. I defiantly will have to work on their relationship. Oh, has anyone seen Howl's Moving Castle? I saw it last Sunday at school. KAWAII! I wish I didn't have to work Wednesday night because I good see it again. I can't wait until it comes out. I'm sure the Japanese version is even better! Ja ne!**

**Jav-chan**


End file.
